This past Friday (March 24th) my son and I went to see the movie “The Hungry Games”. I really enjoyed it, partly because the little guy/gal wins at the end even though the system is set against them. I am assuming that most of you know that hungry games is a movie about a ruling class which forces competition to death between selected members of different poor districts in a selected location and this competition is witnessed on live Tv.
What struck me was that the child who is poor and starving in Somalia may see me and you- the ones who live virtually with our fancy gadgets while they starve-as if we are the perpetrators of the Hunger games. Now surely, I tell myself and hopeful you concur, we have no power. We are part of a system and this system allows for poverty, hunger, starvation, loss of limb and life, and lack of universal human rights and dignity, including universal (world) health care. We have no control. Or do we? We play in the Hunger games by participating in the system. Perhaps the Occupy movement, though insignificant in its impact, makes a point- we, within the system, who are more privileged, will not step outside of our comfort zone because we are doing okay- we are the beneficiary of the Hungry games.
Wow, what a profound analogy and post…and so much truth to it. I have not seen this movie, but I know what it’s about and would like to. It saddens me to think of others starving and struggling, to say the least, as your image conveys beyond words~I wanted to thank you for following me and for your visits. I am also following you and look forward to reading more of your thoughts..I may have already responded to you, but I’m very behind in reading, so I’d rather response twice, then not at all! Thanks again and see you soon!
Lauren
Increasingly I am realizing that we live in the best and worst of all ages-we are civilized barbarians! Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for your comment. Sorry it took so long to write. It is a little scary to think that the Hunger games is some ways is a depiction of how things are at the moment, rather than being confined to the realms of fiction. I have been following your blog and have visited it many times and will continue to do so.